Page 89 of Priceless
The door to the nest was open, and she was there. I knew as soon as I stepped into the hallway. My Omega’s scent was fresh and strong. So sweet. And yet there was a darker undertone to it. One that I’d smelled before.
The nest looked incredible, but she wasn’t in the inside portion.
She was curled up in the glass porch, surrounded by cushions and blankets, just resting, looking out at her namesake. Her expression was blank, and I hoped it was because she was relaxed and not because she was devastated.
“Hey, Sweetheart.”
Her eyes met mine. Blank. A hole opened in my chest.
“How do you like your nest?”
“It’s beautiful,” she murmured.
I leaned against the door. “Can I join you?”
A single, slow nod. The others hung back. In sight, but not crowding her. We’d fucked up today. Protecting her from the press and public opinion should have been our priority. Should have been my priority.
Easing myself down next to her, I pulled her close and inhaled. God, she smelled so fucking good, even with that thread of worrying darkness. “I brought you something.”
She pulled the hoodie out of my hands and buried her face in it. “This is for me?”
“It’s for you, sweetheart. Any time you need me to freshen the scent, let me know.”
A small smile, and she held it closer. But she still looked and felt subdued. I moved, slowly sliding and arm beneath her so I could pull her closer. “I missed you. Called you a little earlier.”
“My phone is in the closet.”
I winced. “Yeah. I thought you might have left it. I’m so sorry, Ocean. It’s my fault.” There were plenty of reasons I could say as to why it fell off my radar. Joseph, Frank, being distracted by the photos themselves, but none of those made it better. “I’m sorry,” I said again.
She sighed, snuggled into me, and closed her eyes. “It’s okay. I mean, it’s not okay, what they’re saying, but I get it.”
“Everett ordered you a new phone. We can change your number, and we’ll make sure you have someone to help with your accounts if you want that.”
“It’s not like I didn’t know,” she said. “I just wasn’t expecting it to be that big, which was silly, I guess. And I need to know what you want me to say.”
I felt their presence behind me as they came closer. “What do you mean, little nymph?”
“I answered the phone before I thought about it, and it was a reporter wanting me to comment on our marriage. I just said no comment, but is there something else you’d like me to say about it?”
“You can say whatever you want about it,” Micah slipped past all of us and sat down on Ocean’s other side. “I don’t recommend it, simply because the more you feed the beast, the hungrier it gets. Creatures can’t survive when they’re starving.”
My Omega laughed, leaning on me, and I felt her relax. I released my purr and enjoyed the further melting of her body into mine. “That’s the best description of the press I’ve ever heard.”
“It’s true.”
Tilting her face up, I searched her eyes. “Are you okay?” No need to clarify what I meant.
“I think so. It doesn’t hurt. Not in the way some of the things Frank and Laura did would hurt. It’s just the knowledge that I’ll always be that for most people.” She put her hand on her chest. “It feels heavy. Hard to explain.”
“No, I get it,” Everett said. “It’s beyond your control, so you can’t do anything to stop it, but you’re still aware of it. The scope of everything.”
“Yeah.”
With that, Ocean wrapped an arm around my ribs and pressed her forehead to my chest. An Omega seeking the safety of her Alpha, even if she had no idea how fucking true it was. I locked eyes with Micah and smiled. There was nothing in the world like the high of an Omega trusting you enough to let go.
“Do you have any events or bookings for Entendre in the next few weeks, little nymph?” Everett asked. “Anything urgent?”
“No.” Her voice was muffled. “Just normal arrangements. Up until now, I’ve only taken one big event at a time so the staff isn’t overwhelmed, since I’m limited in what I can do.”
